Pledges

And before all things, my brethren, do not swear, neither by the heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath, and let your Yes be Yes, and the No, No; that under judgment ye may not fall.

`Give, and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed, and shaken, and running over, they shall give into your bosom; for with that measure with which ye measure, it shall be measured to you again.'

`Again, ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not swear falsely, but thou shalt pay to the Lord thine oaths; — read the full passage →

A man lacking heart is striking hands, A surety he becometh before his friend.

`When a man voweth a vow to Jehovah, or hath sworn an oath to bind a bond on his soul, he doth not pollute his word; according to all that is going out from his mouth he doth.

if thou dost at all take in pledge the garment of thy neighbour, during the going in of the sun thou dost return it to him:

See that no one shall be carrying you away as spoil through the philosophy and vain deceit, according to the deliverance of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ,

And a certain man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, — read the full passage →

and whoever shall deny me before men, I also will deny him before my Father who is in the heavens.

The afflicted and needy he hath oppressed, Plunder he hath taken violently away, A pledge he doth not return, And unto the idols he hath lifted up his eyes, Abomination he hath done!

For thou takest a pledge of thy brother for nought, And the garments of the naked Thou dost strip off.

each one, according as he doth purpose in heart, not out of sorrow or out of necessity, for a cheerful giver doth God love,

A man--he hath not oppressed, A pledge he hath not bound, And plunder he hath not taken away, His bread to the hungry he hath given, And the naked he covered with a garment,

The ass of the fatherless they lead away, They take in pledge the ox of the widow,

Have ye not known that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own,

Be not thou among those striking hands, Among sureties <FI>for<Fi> burdens.

`Thou dost not turn aside the judgment of a fatherless sojourner, nor take in pledge the garment of a widow;

`When thou liftest up on thy brother a debt of anything, thou dost not go in unto his house to obtain his pledge;

`None doth take in pledge millstones, and rider, for life it <FI>is<Fi> he is taking in pledge.

(The pledge the wicked restoreth, plunder he repayeth,) In the statutes of life he hath walked, So as not to do perversity, He surely liveth--he doth not die.

A man--he doth not oppress, His pledge to the debtor he doth return, Plunder he doth not take away, His bread to the hungry he doth give, And the naked doth cover with a garment,

Take his garment when a stranger hath been surety, And for strangers pledge it.

Evil <FI>one<Fi> suffereth when he hath been surety <FI>for<Fi> a stranger, And whoso is hating suretyship is confident.

for God did so love the world, that His Son--the only begotten--He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

And on pledged garments they stretch themselves near every altar, And the wine of fined ones they drink <FI>in<Fi> the house of their gods.

They take violently away From the breast the orphan, And on the poor they lay a pledge.

and these ten cuttings of the cheese thou dost take in to the head of the thousand, and thy brethren thou dost inspect for welfare, and their pledge dost receive.'

And Judah sendeth the kid of the goats by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the hand of the woman, and he hath not found her.

And let him who is instructed in the word share with him who is instructing--in all good things.

for if the willing mind is present, according to that which any one may have it is well-accepted, not according to that which he hath not;

all things I did shew you, that, thus labouring, it behoveth <FI>us<Fi> to partake with the ailing, to be mindful also of the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

but let your word be, Yes, Yes, No, No, and that which is more than these is of the evil.

Take his garment, when a stranger hath been surety, And for a strange woman pledge it.

A revelation of Jesus Christ, that God gave to him, to shew to his servants what things it behoveth to come to pass quickly; and he did signify <FI>it<Fi> , having sent through his messenger to his servant John,

Pilate, therefore, said to him, `Art thou then a king?' Jesus answered, `Thou dost say <FI>it<Fi> ; because a king I am, I for this have been born, and for this I have come to the world, that I may testify to the truth; every one who is of the truth, doth hear my voice.'

And cursed <FI>is<Fi> a deceiver, who hath in his drove a male, And is vowing, and is sacrificing a marred thing to the Lord, For a great king <FI>am<Fi> I, said Jehovah of Hosts, And My name <FI>is<Fi> revered among nations!

And now, thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Set your heart to your ways. — read the full passage →

`When thou liftest up on thy brother a debt of anything, thou dost not go in unto his house to obtain his pledge; — read the full passage →

and may He who is supplying seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness,

and all those believing were at the same place, and had all things common, — read the full passage →

`Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye give tithe of the mint, and the dill, and the cumin, and did neglect the weightier things of the Law--the judgment, and the kindness, and the faith; these it behoved <FI>you<Fi> to do, and those not to neglect.

but seek ye first the reign of God and His righteousness, and all these shall be added to you. — read the full passage →

for where your treasure is, there will be also your heart.

For, from the rising of the sun to its going in, Great <FI>is<Fi> My name among nations, And in every place perfume is brought nigh to My name, and a pure present, For great <FI>is<Fi> My name among nations, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

`And now, negotiate, I pray thee, with my lord the king of Asshur, and I give to thee two thousand horses, if thou art able to put for thee riders on them.

There is who is scattering, and yet is increased, And who is keeping back from uprightness, only to want. — read the full passage →

`And if he is a poor man, thou dost not lie down with his pledge; — read the full passage →

`When thou liftest up on thy brother a debt of anything, thou dost not go in unto his house to obtain his pledge; — read the full passage →

and of doing good, and of fellowship, be not forgetful, for with such sacrifices God is well-pleased.

and God <FI>is<Fi> able all grace to cause to abound to you, that in every thing always all sufficiency having, ye may abound to every good work,

And this: He who is sowing sparingly, sparingly also shall reap; and he who is sowing in blessings, in blessings also shall reap;

for I did hunger, and ye gave me to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye received me; — read the full passage →

`Because of this I say to you, be not anxious for your life, what ye may eat, and what ye may drink, nor for your body, what ye may put on. Is not the life more than the nourishment, and the body than the clothing?

Looking for much, and lo, little, And ye brought <FI>it<Fi> home, and I blew on it, Wherefore? --an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Because of My house that is waste, And ye are running--each to his house, — read the full passage →

Whoso is giving to the poor hath no lack, And whoso is hiding his eyes multiplied curses.

My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand, — read the full passage →

Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase; — read the full passage →

`And, now, give a pledge for thee, I pray thee, to my lord the king of Asshur, and I give to thee two thousand horses, if thou art able to give for thee riders on them.

and whoever may have the goods of the world, and may view his brother having need, and may shut up his bowels from him--how doth the love of God remain in him?

if we may confess our sins, stedfast He is and righteous that He may forgive us the sins, and may cleanse us from every unrighteousness;

the Lord is not slow in regard to the promise, as certain count slowness, but is long-suffering to us, not counselling any to be lost but all to pass on to reformation,

Those rich in the present age charge thou not to be high-minded, nor to hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, who is giving to us all things richly for enjoyment; -- — read the full passage →

through the proof of this ministration glorifying God for the subjection of your confession to the good news of the Christ, and <FI>for<Fi> the liberality of the fellowship to them and to all,

because in much trial of tribulation the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, did abound to the riches of their liberality; — read the full passage →

to the necessities of the saints communicating; the hospitality pursuing.

and he now going down, his servants met him, and told, saying--`Thy child doth live;'

And Jesus having sat down over-against the treasury, was beholding how the multitude do put brass into the treasury, and many rich were putting in much,

therefore ye may not be anxious, saying, What may we eat? or, What may we drink? or, What may we put round?

look to the fowls of the heaven, for they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into storehouses, and your heavenly Father doth nourish them; are not ye much better than they?

`Treasure not up to yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust disfigure, and where thieves break through and steal, — read the full passage →

And I have pushed for you against the consumer, And He doth not destroy to you the fruit of the ground, Nor miscarry to you doth the vine in the field, Said Jehovah of Hosts. — read the full passage →

Bring in all the tithe unto the treasure-house, And there is food in My house; When ye have tried Me, now, with this, Said Jehovah of Hosts, Do not I open to you the windows of heaven? Yea, I have emptied on you a blessing till there is no space.

And when ye bring nigh the blind for sacrifice, `There is no evil,' And when ye bring nigh the lame and sick, `There is no evil;' Bring it near, I pray thee, to thy governor--Doth he accept thee? or doth he lift up thy face? Said Jehovah of Hosts. — read the full passage →

A son honoureth a father, and a servant his master. And if I <FI>am<Fi> a father, where <FI>is<Fi> Mine honour? And if I <FI>am<Fi> a master, where <FI>is<Fi> My fear? Said Jehovah of Hosts to you, O priests, despising My name! And ye have said: `In what have we despised Thy name?' — read the full passage →

Do not these--all of them--against him a simile taken up, And a moral of acute sayings for him, And say, Woe <FI>to<Fi> him who is multiplying <FI>what is<Fi> not his? Till when also is he multiplying to himself heavy pledges?

And the noble counselled noble things, And he for noble things riseth up.

A snare to a man <FI>is<Fi> he hath swallowed a holy thing, And after vows to make inquiry.

He also that is remiss in his work, A brother he <FI>is<Fi> to a destroyer.

My son! if thou hast been surety for thy friend, Hast stricken for a stranger thy hand,

For Mine <FI>is<Fi> every beast of the forest, The cattle on the hills of oxen.

And I strive with the prefects, and say, `Wherefore hath the house of God been forsaken?' and I gather them, and set them on their station; — read the full passage →

This, now, beloved, a second letter to you I write, in both which I stir up your pure mind in reminding <FI>you<Fi> , — read the full passage →

and those wishing to be rich, do fall into temptation and a snare, and many desires, foolish and hurtful, that sink men into ruin and destruction,

having judgment, because the first faith they did cast away,

in every thing being enriched to all liberality, which doth work through us thanksgiving to God,

Necessary, therefore, I thought <FI>it<Fi> to exhort the brethren, that they may go before to you, and may make up before your formerly announced blessing, that this be ready, as a blessing, and not as covetousness.

avoiding this, lest any one may blame us in this abundance that is ministered by us, — read the full passage →

and an opinion in this do I give: for this to you <FI>is<Fi> expedient, who not only to do, but also to will, did begin before--a year ago, — read the full passage →

and not according as we expected, but themselves they did give first to the Lord, and to us, through the will of God,

on every first <FI>day<Fi> of the week, let each one of you lay by him, treasuring up whatever he may have prospered, that when I may come then collections may not be made;

I call upon you, therefore, brethren, through the compassions of God, to present your bodies a sacrifice--living, sanctified, acceptable to God--your intelligent service; — read the full passage →

And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas--which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort--a Levite, of Cyprus by birth,

for there was not any one among them who did lack, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling <FI>them<Fi> , were bringing the prices of the thing sold, — read the full passage →

and having heard these things, Jesus said to him, `Yet one thing to thee is lacking; all things--as many as thou hast--sell, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, be following me;' — read the full passage →

`And who of you, being anxious, is able to add to his age one cubit?

`Again, ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not swear falsely, but thou shalt pay to the Lord thine oaths;

Troubled for wealth <FI>is<Fi> the man <FI>with<Fi> an evil eye, And he knoweth not that want doth meet him.

The good of eye--he is blessed, For he hath given of his bread to the poor.

I profane not My covenant, And that which is going forth from My lips I change not.

And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, are giving the portions of the singers, and of the gatekeepers, the matter of a day in its day, and are sanctifying to the Levites, and the Levites are sanctifying to the sons of Aaron.